More than 1,500 North County families in need will wake up Christmas morning with some extra gifts under the tree, pantries stocked with food and some new outfits.

North County Holiday Baskets

They received the goods last weekend at the Del Mar Fairgrounds grandstand, which was transformed into a one-stop department store. The families were participating in the 29th annual Holiday Baskets Program, organized by the Encinitas-based Community Resource Center. For the past six years, the nonprofit has filled the fairgrounds with bicycles, toys, blankets, clothes and food, including turkeys and chickens.

“It’s a Walmart,” said Laurin Pause, the center’s executive director. “This is a shopping experience.”

Unlike Walmart, however, everything’s free.

Eligible families are those who would also qualify for low-income housing. Pause said many of them are running out of unemployment benefits while battling the recession.

“The whole thing about the economy improving, it’s not improving. Not for our families,” Pause said. “They literally would not have a Christmas without this. ... Now they can.”

Carlsbad resident Vanessa Graziano, a mother of three, went through the grandstand Dec. 16, opening night. She got a football for her sons, a doll for her daughter, and a sweater for herself, plus clothes, diapers, food and other supplies she brought home.

“I’m a single mom so just to be able to come here and get clothes for them and shoes and toys, it’s fabulous,” Graziano said. “It’s awesome that the community comes together and just helps everybody.”

Some young visitors were able to choose their own Christmas gifts.

Jose Alberto, 6, took home a blue Adidas sweater, and his first Hot Wheels set. Diego Cordoba, 7, from Carlsbad, took home a bright red Schwinn bike.

“It’s like a motorcycle,” Diego said, as he sped around outside the grandstand.

Pause said the Community Resource Center collects many of its items through donations. The bikes come from the Sheriff’s Department after they go unclaimed. The organization bought 1,500 chickens and 400 turkeys to give.

Pause said the line at the downtown Encinitas resource center extended around the block the day registration opened in October. Due to capacity limits and deadlines, the organization had to turn away about 600 families who asked to be included. The Jewish Community Foundation is providing assistance to some of the families who had to be turned away, said Suzie Colby, the center’s development director.

More than 1,600 volunteers and 200 groups and organizations collected and donated items. Families were generally limited to one item per category, however, each child under 18 received a toy.

The organization also received financial help from the city of Solana Beach, which contributed $5,000 to the event, and the city of Encinitas, which granted it $4,000. The county covered equipment costs, and the event received financial contributions from the Leichtag Foundation, Colby said.